Matrix escapement for typographical machines



Sept 18, 1934. R. H. TURNER MATRIX ES CAPEMENT Filed June 26, 1933 Patented Sept. 18, 1934 UNITED STATES P A T E 'roFFic MATRIX ESCAPEM'ENT' FOR TYPOGRAPH- ICAL MACHINES I Application June 26, 1933, Serial No. 677,696 In Germany September 26, 1932 11 Claims. (o1. 199-48) The present invention relates to improvements in typographical machines of the general class wherein character bearing matrices are stored a magazine and are released therefrom under the control of escapements actuated by a key board and delivered to means for assembling them into lines from which type bars or slugs may be cast, and the invention relates more particularly to such matrix releasing escapements.

The matrix releasing escapeme'nts as heretofore u sed have been so mounted on a bearing or other support that the entire set thereoi, corresponding in number to the large number, usually ninety, of matrix channels in the magazine, 15 are retained in operative position thereon in such manner that whenever it becomes necessary to remove one of the escapements of the set or series for replacement because or wear or for cleaning because of accumulation of foreign matter, which interfere with the free and proper matrixreleasing operation thereof, all of the escapements at one or the other side of the one to be removed are subject to dislodgrnent from their bearing or mounting since they will be deprived of their retaining means incident to the removal of any of the escapements of the set; usually rendering it difilcult and inconvenient to restore all of the escapements to their proper operative positions on their bearing or mounting incident to the replacing of the retaining means, and, moreover, re-

moval of anescapement, as these escapem'ents have been heretofore constructed and mounted, has required removalof the magazine from the machine, if the escapements are attached thereto,

- or removal of the framework on which the escapements are mounted and supported inoperative relation with the magazine when. the escapem ents are mounted separately from the magazine. Thus, the operation of removing an es'capement 40 has heretofore required much labor and caused much delay in the operation of the'm'achine.

The present invention overcomes the foregoing objections and disadvantages by providing a novel and improved construction and mounting for the 5 escapements whereby any individual'escapement of the entire set or series may be removed with- -out depriving any 01 the. rest Of'the escapements of the set or series of their 'retaining'meansor otherwise rendering them subject to dislodgment 0 from their proper operative positions on the bearingbr mounting, or other disturbance, and, moreover, any individual esbapement of the set maybe removed and replaced without the necessity of 'removing the magazine from the machine if the escapements are mounted on the magazine, or of removing the escapement frame if the escapements are mounted thereon separately from the magazine, the present invention thus facilitating the removal and replacement of any escapement of the set or se Les which may be faulty in its operation, and minimizing delay in the operation of the machine.

In the preferred form of the invention, the escapements are provided each with an open slot which enables the escapeme-nt to 'grasp or hook 66 over a pin or rod which normally retains the escapements in operative position; each escapement, however, being capable of being unhooked from the pin or rod individually so that the remainder of the escapements of the set remainun 7Q disturbed.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations and arrangements of parts all as hereinafter described, thefeatures of novelty being pointed out 75, particularly in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section taken through the lower end of a matrix magazine provided with an escapement embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l, but'showing the escapement partially removed from its operative position, and 1 Fig. 3 is a view of the under side of the lower or matrix delivery end of the magazine equipped with the improved escapements, a portion of the magazine being broken away.

The present invention is applicable to matrix releasing escapements of diiierent forms or designs. In the present instance, the invention is shown applied in its preferred form to an escapement 1, which is of substantially arcuate form, and is mounted to pivot or rock on a bearing bar 2 fixed to the lower side of the matrix maga- 9,5

zine 3 which is grooved to provide channels for the respective matrices composing the font to be contained therein, the inner or bearing surface of each escapement being provided'if desired with recesses 17 to contain a lubricant or'the'like, .100 The bearing bar 2 is formed with a series of grooves 4 of segmental form in whichthe escapements are fitted to rock, these slots locating the 'escapements in proper spaced relation and guiding them in their rocking or pivoting movements, it being understood that a set or series of escape- .ments is provided the number of which corresponds to the number of matrix channels in the magazine, such magazines being usually provided with ninety of such channels, and the slots 4 1.10

position the escapements for operation in the planes of the respective matrix channels. The ends of each escapement form pawls 5 and 6 which operate through apertures in the bottom of the magazine and project into the respective matrix channel, as the channel '7 in Figs. 1 and 3, to control the release of the matrices therefrom, it being understood that the magazine in machines of this class usually occupies an inclined position on the machine so that the matrices descend therein and discharge from their lower or delivery ends by gravity. Each escapement is provided with a spring 8 one end of which is con nected to 2. lug 9 on a spring retaining bar 10 fixed to the lower side of the magazine and the other end of which is attached to a lug 11 on the respective escapement. Each of these springs acts to normally hold the respective escapement in the full line position shown in Fig. 1, the lower pawl 5 of the escapement then retaining the lowermost matrix M in the magazine by engaging beneath one of its upper ears. Each escapement is provided with a keyboard reed which may be operated in the manner usual in machines or" this class, each of these reeds moving vertically, first upwardly and then downwardly in the usual manner, when the corresponding key on the keyboard is struck. When the reed moves upwardly into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, it rocks or swings the escapement 1 on the bearing bar 2 into the dotted line position shown, causing the lower pawl 5 on the escapement to be withdrawn from beneath the ear of the lowermost matrix M and its upper pawl 6 to be moved upwardly into the matrix channel 7 in the magazine, thereby releasing the matrix M so that it may slide freely out of the magazine while the next following matrix M slides downwardly until its upper ear engages the pawl 6 on the escapement. Immediately after the reed 12 has been thus lifted and performed its function of releasing one matrix, it descends or returns to its normal full line position shown in Fig. 1, thereby allowing the escapement to swing or rotate back to its normal full line position shown in this figure under the action of its spring 8. Since the bottom ear of the matrix M passes the lower pawl 5 of the escapement during the descent of this matrix to engage its upper ear on the upper pawl 6 of the escapement while the latter was in its actuated or dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, the rock ing of the escapement back to its normal or full line position withdraws the upper pawl 6 from the path of the upper ear on this matrix and brings the lower pawl 5 into the path of said ear so that this matrix will slide downwardly in the magazine until its upper ear engages the lower pawl 5 on the matrix. The matrices in the magazine are thus released, one af er another, each time the keyboard reed 12 is actuated, it being understood that the set or series of escapements extend across the width of the magazine, one escapement being provided for each matrix channel therein and each escapement having a keyboard reed for actuating it and that each escapement of the set or series operates in the manner hereinbefore described to release the matrices from the respective channel in the magazine, as substantially described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,153,078 granted September 7, 1915.

According to the present invention, each escapement 1 is provided with a slot 13 having an opening 14. leading therefrom to the inner circumference of the escapement which bears on the bearing bar 2, and this slot is adapted to receive a retaining rod or pin 15 which extends longitudinally of the bearing bar 2 and may be slidable or suitably seated in a slot in the bar 2, the slot 13 in each escapement being of sufficient size or length to permit actuation thereof to its full extent without interference from the retaining rod. When the escapement is in its normal or full line position shown in Fig. 1, the edge of the upper end of the slot 13 engages the rod 15 under the tension of the spring 8 and thereby retains the escapement against the retaining rod and in operative position on the bearing bar 2, and when the reed 12 rocks the escapement on the bearing bar 2, a shoulder 16 on the escapement banks against the under side or lower plate of the magazine.

According to this construction, when it is desired to remove an escapement, it is only necessary to swing or rock the escapement toward actuated position to a point where the opening it leading from the slot 13 isopposite to the retaining rod 15, whereupon the escapement can be removed individually from the bearing bar in the manner shown in Fig. 2, the retaining rod 15 passing through the opening 14 leading from the slot 13, the escapement removing operation being facilitated by first disconnecting the spring 8 from the lug 11 on the escapement whereupon the escapement may be easily rocked by the fingers into position for removal. Any escapement of the set or series may be thus removed independently of and without disturbing any of the remaining escapements of the set or series which remain retained on the bearing bar 2 by the retaining rod 15. An escapement may be replaced on the bearing bar or mounting by an operation the reverse of the removal operation described.

I claim as my invention:-

1. Escapement means for releasing matrices from the magazine of a typographical machine, comprising a series of escapements each having an open slot, and a rod adapted to be grasped by the slotted portions of the escapements and thereby normally retain the escapements in swinging operative position and from which the escapements may be removed individually.

2. In combination, escapement means for releasing matrices from the magazine of a typographical machine, bearing means for mounting said escapement means for pivotal movement, and means for retaining said escapement means in engagement with said bearing means during pivotal movement thereon, said escapement means having a recess therein for disengaging it from said bearing means and said retaining means.

3. A matrix controlling escapement for the magazine of a typographical machine, having spaced matrix engaging lugs, an open bearing surface therebetween for supporting the escapement, and a retaining member receiving recess intermediate said lugs and communicating with said surface.

4. A matrix controlling escapement for the magazine of a typographical machine, having spaced matrix engaging lugs, an open bearing surface therebetween, and an elongated opening disposed intermediate said lugs having a restricted throat communicating with said bearing surface and adapted to receive a retaining member.

5. Escapement means for releasing matrices from the magazine of a typographical machine, which comprises a set of escapements, bearing means for mounting said escapements for pivotal movement, and an escapement retaining member fixedly positioned on said bearing means, each of said escapements having a recess therein presenting a restricted throat portion adapted to permit entrance and exit of said retaining memher and also having an elongated inner portion adapted to permit pivotal movement of said escapement.

6. Escapement means for releasing matrices from the magazine of a typographical machine, comprising a set of escapements each having spaced matrix engaging portions and a portion for supporting it for reverse reciprocating movement, mounting means for said escapements, and means for retaining said escapements in mounted position, each escapement having a recess in said supporting portion thereof adapted to cooperate with said retaining means.

7. Escapement means for releasing matrices from the magazine of a typographical machine, comprising a set of escapements each having spaced matrix engaging portions and a portion for supporting it for reverse reciprocating movement, and means for mounting said escapements including bearing means and an escapement retaining member common to all of said escapements, each escapement having a recess in said supporting portion thereof adapted to cooperate with said retaining member.

8. Escapement means for releasing matrices from the magazine of a typographical machine, comprising a set of escapements, means for mounting said escapements in operative relation to said magazine, and means for releasably retaining said escapements on said mounting means comprising pin and slot couplings arranged to permit independent removal of each of said escapements.

9. Escapement means for releasing matrices from the magazine of a typographical machine, comprising a set of escapements each having spaced matrix engaging lugs and an actuating portion for occasioning reverse reciprocating movement thereof, mounting means for said escapements, and releasable retaining means for said escapements comprising a pin and slot coupling between said mounting means and each actuating portion.

10. In or for a typographical machine, the combination with a matrix magazine and means for mounting escapements to release matrices therefrom, of a set of escapements each having spaced matrix engaging lugs, and means for releasably retaining said escapements in mounted position comprising cooperating means associated respectively with said mounting means and said escapements and forming pin and slot connections therebetween adapted to permit independent mounting and removal of each of said escapements.

11. In or for a typographical machine, the combination with a matrix storage channel and a member for mounting a matrix controlling escapement in operative relation thereto, of an escapement member having spaced matrix engaging lugs, and means for releasably retaining said escapement member in operative association with said mounting member comprising a pin on one of said members cooperative With an open slot in the other of said members.

RANSOM H. TURNER. 

